A woman who was alleged jilted went berserk and set alight two huts belonging to different families at Khubvi Village on Thursday evening. Fire extinguishers had to be used to put down the flames at the huts of the Netshiomvani and Rakhivhani families.

Gudani Netshiomvani (18) explained what happened on the fateful day: “The suspect torched my father-in-law’s thatched hut which he uses a bedroom. She thought that he was inside the hut because it was already late; about 22:00. I think the main aim was to kill my father-in-law by burning him inside the hut.”

Gudani said they heard somebody calling out loudly before the fire started. “We heard somebody knocking on the door, calling the name of my father-in-law. The voice said ‘Vho-Netshomvani, kha vha vule ndi do ha bora badi’ (Mr Netshiomvani, open before I embarrass you).”

Gudani says family members went out to investigate but the hut was already on fire while the perpetrator was running away at high speed. “Community members came and took out the goods from the hut. We also tried to extinguish the fire with water, but we failed, until people with fire extinguishers came to our rescue.”

Kensani Rakhivhani of the second family, whose hut was also torched, said she is in the dark about the reasons why the woman set her hut on fire. “She was quarrelling with her concubine while drinking traditional beer (mahafhe) next to our home. The quarrel lead to a brawl and the woman threatened to burn her concubine’s hut the same evening.”

Kensani said she was asleep when the woman came and called Kensani’s mother at the top of her voice. “She called my mother, Johanna, and told her to open the door. When my mother and I went out to investigate, she was running away and the hut was on fire. We recognized her because we know her very well. She is a family friend…”

Kensani said the hut was used as a kitchen and all the kitchen utensils were damaged.

Insp Nkanukeni Raedani of the Thohoyandou Police confirmed the incident. “We have registered two cases of arson and a 58-year-old woman was arrested.”

The suspect was still to appear in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court at the time of going to press.